The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-06-24

all these is historic ground; for this was a
residence Of the Saxon kings nearly 1000
years ago. and has rarely ceased to be royal
home at any subsequent time. In those
groves and shaded walks have been held many
conferences and many arguments made that
settled the fate Of dynasties, and from the gates
have ridden many couriers bearing dis
patches that have changed the destiny Of
nations. The castle proper was founded by
William the Conqueror, but almost entirely
rebuilt by order of Edward III, the architect
being the noted William of Wykeham, and,
in 1824-'S, the edif1ce was finally and COM
pletely remodeled under direction Of Sir
Godfrey Wyatville. St. Georges chapel is
noted for the beauty of its Gothic architect
ure, and in its vault lie the remains of many
royal personages, among them Henry vi,
Edward w and his queen, Henry VIII and
Jane Seymour, Charles I, two of the Georges
and William w. In the round tower state
prisoners were formerly confined, and the
unfortunate James I of Scotland was some
time O prisoner there. Half a mile from
Windsor castle is the small palace of Frog
more, which was the residence of Queen
Charlotte and of Queen Victoria's mother,
the Duchess of Kent.
Despite the grandeur of Windsor and its
historic associations with her most glorious
ancestors, the queens heart home is at Bal
moral, in the Scottish highlands. So charm
ing was life there to the queen and prince
consort that she has taken the world into her
confidence since her husbands death by
writing book on their life in the highlands
The prince leased the estate in 1S4S, and
bought it in 1852 1t is located in the parish
Of Craithie, Aberdeenshire, on the right bank
Of the River Dee, and comprises an area of
100, 900 acres, in which is q tract Of 1000
acres of almost primeval forest, and $4,000
acres of deer park, which includes forest
open glade, hill and valley. The air is cool
and invigorating in the warmest season The
Ben-a-bourd, a picturesque mountain peak
near by, furnished Prince Albert his favorite
evening view; so the queen chose that as the
site of her memorial to the prince, which was
erected in 1853 l-.t t
At Balmoral she has always been accom-
panied by her daughter Princess Beatrice,
and the marriage Of the latter to Prince
Henry of Battenberg has made no difference
in this respect. His pleasant manner has
made him a great favorite at the little court
and among the Highlanders. There are few
visitors to BalmoraL The Prince and Prin-
cess of Wales often come, making their home
at Abergeldie, and at times other members of
the royal family or invited guests are there.
The queen spends much of her time in the
open air, walking about the grounds or in
the groves with her favorite collie dogs, or
seated on the lawn, reading, or driving about
the neighborhood, occasionally visiting the
local gentry. She also visits the homes of
the cotters 1--WE might call them cottagers)
frequently, and they have many tokens Of
her kindness in the form of books, pictures
and photographs. She is often present at
christening or funeral But with all these
gracious ways, her majesty is decidedly
"near,r as the peasantry say-a British form
Of the American slang "close"-that is, she
calculates the outgo of the sixpences more
than royal ladies usually do Even at Bal
moral she devotes much Of her time to study